2009 Angler Pressure Surveys

In 1989, the Montana Legislature approved funding for an "Enhanced Survey of Angling Pressure". The funding was such that the survey was to be conducted every other year. In March 1989, the statewide angling use mail survey was again re-initiated. The statewide angling pressure was estimated at 2,336,085 angler days (McFarland, 1991). From 1991 through 2005 the statewide angling use varied from 2.2 million to 3.18 million angler days. In 2009 the statewide angling use was estimated at 3,359,526 angling days (McFarland & Hughes, 1993, 1995; McFarland & Meredith 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, McFarland & Tarum 2005, McFarland & Dykstra 2007, McFarland & Dykstra 2008). This was the highest statewide angling use total of all known surveys conducted within the state.